food, crochet, merriment
“Don’t be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’
Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life.”
–Gordon B. Hinckley
First, I started making this pretty pink blanket.
Then I got distracted by this gorgeous granny square.
But then I got really excited by this beautiful blue blanket.
Then I wondered if a bag would look good with this yarn…
but then, I do need to get started with the holiday stuff.
*sigh*
Well, my project bag is packed and exciting and calming and beautiful and responsible and frivilous and completely conflicted…
but at the same time…
full to the brim with so many things that make me happy in so many directions.
So, I guess I’ll just grab this little bag of joy and head out the door and see where the mood takes me.
Sounds like pure…
heaven.
“You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities.”
~ Gordon B. Hinckley
Late one night I was casually looking back at some ancient posts, when I came upon a couple of old school Sesame Street videos that Baby Chomp used to watch. One video led to another and another and before I knew it I had a whole playlist made on YouTube called Sesame Street–the Good Stuff. I was surprised at how much fun it was to see good old Bert and Ernie again. Like some dear, sweet friends had come by for lunch.
Before the night was over, I kinda, sorta ended up clicking a button that I seriously didn’t mean to click. It was so implusive, that I forgot I had even done it.
Until…
this showed up.
Oh, dear. What did I do?!
This is what I did and I’m not a bit sorry, after all. In fact, I think I’m going to love it.
What I meant to say was, “It’s totally for the grandkids. Really.”
Wanna come over?
Heh, heh.
Ever since I was a kid, growing up in Los Angeles–I’ve been great–perfect even, at keeping very still when a stranger knocks on my door. We didn’t live in a particularly great part of town and I knew better than to just fling the front door open at any and every knock when, as my mother explained, “we have no idea who is on the other side of the door and what they really want.
It scared me sufficiently.
My sister and I even got good at ducking down fast so that we couldn’t be seen from the outside.
When I was a young mom, I got braver because…well, now I lived in Utah and it was safer to open the door. Right? Well, that’s what I thought.
While I admit, I was never threatened or frightened at my own front door in Orem or Provo or Lindon or American Fork–I did end up buying a billion dollars worth of stuff that I really didn’t need, all because I didn’t want to be rude to the nice kid on the porch.
That, my friends is costly politeness. Something had to be done.
So, I went back to the stop, drop and roll method from my childhood and quit answering the door again…for years.
*Sigh.* There had to be a better way.
Enter Etsy and the cute little shop called Lisabees.
This sweet gal made me a couple of No Soliciting signs for my door that ward off the too kind and too cute sales folks without me having to do anything! And the best part is that I don’t even feel guilty about it because the sign is so cute that it’s actually…you know…polite. Perfectly polite. Checks all the boxes for somebody like me.
Now, you may think that another easy solution would be for me to just learn to say, “no.”
Insert gutteral laughter here.
Pretty sure saying no is a maturity level that I haven’t reached yet.
Don’t wait for it.
Heh.
